LH Foundation, Inc., the philanthropic arm of the LH Paragon Group, in collaboration with its primary healthcare subsidiary, Clinica Prime Cebu, Inc. held a forum dubbed The Nursing Crunch 2.0 at the Oakridge Executive Club on October 8, 2024, in partnership with Optum Philippines, a member of the UnitedHealth Group, aimed to facilitate discussion and address concerns on the nursing crisis in the country.
The forum was attended by key senior leaders and officials from the major private and public hospitals in Cebu, as well as the key medical educational institutions of Cebu.
Leading the discussion were Dr. Kenneth Hartigan-Go, Clinica Prime Independent Director and Ateneo Policy Center Senior Research Fellow; Ms. Christine Dugay, IPSOS Strategy Principal; and Atty. Darwin Mariano, UnitedHealth Group Vice-President for External Affairs.
Dr. Hartigan-Go shared key insights on confronting the care crisis, and navigating the nursing exodus, stating that the nursing crisis in the country stems from a local shortage, retention challenges, and substandard working conditions, causing graduates to seek opportunities abroad or shift to occupations outside of the health sector.
Meanwhile, Ms. Dugay presented key findings from their study on the career journey of the Filipino nurse, identifying critical stages in the nursing journey to identify attrition points and explore potential interventions for each.
Atty. Mariano then shared about Optum Health Education Global (OHE Global), an internationally accredited, interprofessional continuing education platform developed by Optum Health Education (OHE), UnitedHealth Group (UHG) External Affairs and Optum Philippines, leveraging on UHG/Optum education resources and making it available to qualified international clinicians.
Collectively, the insights, initiatives, and discussions during the forum underscore the importance of addressing the nursing crisis through strategic interventions, improved working conditions, and ongoing education, nurturing a resilient healthcare workforce, and ultimately elevating the quality of healthcare across the country.
LH Foundation, Inc. through its medical advocacy, aims to provide venues and learning opportunities for the community, to initiate collaborative discussions that will ultimately lead to impactful and sustainable change for the greater community.
